More on J. Steven Griles
As I've mentioned in previous Indian Trust Fund posts, Sec. Gale Norton's go-to man in her department on Indian issues was Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles. In fact, as we learned late last week, it was apparently Griles who arranged the picture with Choctaw tribal leaders and Jack Abramoff back in 2003.
We also learned that Griles had a very friendly relationship with Italia Federici, director of CREA (the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy), which funnelled both Indian gaming funds and oil and gas industry contributions to Bush's pet projects, such as drilling in ANWR and destroying environmental regulations. According to a 2001 email [huge pdf] between Abramoff and Federici:
After I retrieved my coat I ended up sharing a cab with Steve. He really enjoyed meeting you and was grateful for the strategic advice on BIA and Insular Affairs. You definitely made another friend.
We also learned that Steven Griles was on the Bush Interior Department transition team, where his affiliation was listed as "National Environmental Strategies". National Environmental Strategies (NES) is a lobbying firm located in Washington DC. A quick lookup of Griles clients while he worked at NES, and the few years prior to his joining the firm in 1999, is quite enlightening:
CALLON PETROLEUM CO
CHEVRON U. S. A.
EDISON ELECTRIC INST
HORSEHEAD RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT CO
NATL MINING ASSN
OCCIDENTAL INTL CORP
NATL ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
THE CHLORINE INSTITUTE, INC.
OXYGENATED FUELS ASSOCIATION
BERGESON & CAMPBELL
WESTERN GAS RESOURCES
FIERCE & ISAKOWITZ
DEVON ENERGY CORP
PODESTA MATTOON
DOMINION RESOURCES
COALBED METHANE AD HOC COMMITTEE
CAITHNESS ENERGY
ADVANCED POWER TECHNOLOGIES
DEVON ENERGY
CUMBERLAND RESOURCES
REDSTONE
PITTSTON COAL CO
PIONEER GROUP INC
COASTAL COAL COMPANY
ARCH COAL INC
YATES PETROLEUM CORP
OXY USA
TEMPICO
SUNOCO
REILLY INDUSTRIES
INTEGRATED WASTE SERVICE ASSN
ENTERGY CORP
ALUMINUM ASSN
BERGESON & CAMPBELL
PENNSYLVANIA POWER & LIGHT CO
OUTLOOK POLICY FORUM
HAWTHORN GROUP
ARISTECH CHEMICAL CORP
AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL
One has to wonder just why a man with these many contacts in the energy and mining sectors was nominated for a top position in Interior, with all its Indians and National Parks, and not say, Energy? Unless, of course, your top priority is the Bureau of Land Management, with its hundreds of thousands of federal lands, including Indian Trust lands, nearly all available for lease of its oil, gas, mineral or forestry resources.
Of course, none of the above clients would be at all concerned should the Indian Trust Fund be accurately audited.
Who are Griles corporate clients since he joined Lundquist Nethercutt and & Griles?
CONSOL ENERGY
GOLD FIELDS MINING LLC
NEWMONT MINING CORP
AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
BULL MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT CO #1
METTIKI COAL LLC
SHAW ENVIRONMENTAL INC
NEWMONT MINING CORP
KONGSBERG DEFENCE & AEROSPACE
So why are we still only concerned about Abramoff and his "clients"? Let's take a look at the money these folks gave as well.
[image from www.nj.org]
Comments
Interestingly, Griles made out just fine during his years at Interior....in addition to his government salary (about $160,000 per year) he also drew approximately $250,000 per year for each of his four years from his prior lobbying firm -- an arrangement questioned by Interior's Inspector General, but allowed to continue. Nice work, if you can get it.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 30, 2006 03:51 PM